T.J. Otzelberger Shares Positives of Iowa State Cyclones Playing Players Era Festival

What does T.J. Otzelberger think of the Iowa State Cyclones participating in the Players Era Festival.

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The Iowa State Cyclones have handled business thus far in the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season.

They have gotten off to a 4-0 start, defeating the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, Grambling State Tigers and Stonehill Skyhawks at Hilton Coliseum, while heading to a neutral site to beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

That undefeated record is going to be put to the test next week when the Cyclones participate in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.

“So many positives of playing in this event for us,” head coach T.J. Otzelberger said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network.

T.J. Otzelberger shares the positives of participating in Players Era Festival

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The inaugural tournament in 2024 featured eight teams that were playing for big-time Name, Image and Likeness money. Last year, the winner was the Oregon Ducks, who defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide and took home at least $1 million in prize money.

Both of those schools are returning for Year 2 and could be potential opponents for Iowa State in the expanded field. 16 teams are participating this year, with the Cyclones’ set matchups being the St. John’s Red Storm and Creighton Bluejays.

“Certainly, there's a financial component that's beneficial for our program, for our athletics department. And then just the ability to play the best teams on national television and test yourself early in the season,” Otzelberger added.

Iowa State is certainly going to be challenged during its time in Las Vegas. The Red Storm and Bluejays are both currently ranked in the top 25. A potential third-ranked opponent awaits, with Alabama, the Auburn Tigers, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Houston Cougars, Kansas Jayhawks, Michigan Wolverines, and Tennessee Volunteers also currently ranked teams participating.

Competition will be fierce for Iowa State in Las Vegas

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Currently ranked No. 16 in the nation, Iowa State will have ample opportunities to cement its standing as one of the best programs with a real chance to move up the rankings.

The financial component of the tournament is something that should appeal greatly to the Cyclones as well. They don’t have as much money to spend on the transfer portal or on incoming freshmen like some of their peers they are competing against.

Winning the Players Era Festival would not only provide a cash flow but also show that Iowa State is on par with those teams despite the financial challenges they face.

You can be sure that Otzelberger will have his group ready to go, with tip-off scheduled for Monday at 4:30 pm ET/3:30 pm CT/1:30 pm PT against the Red Storm. A quick turnaround will occur with the tip-off against Creighton set for 2:30 pm ET/1:30 pm CT/11:30 am PT.